


Finally Free

by Lady_Quotesalot



Category: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore
Genre: Abusive Parents, Also a Bit of Penelope, Angst, Fluff, Healthy Hades/Persephone, LGBTQ Character, Love at First Sight, Multi, Sorta Beauty and the Beast Meets Pride and Predjudice, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-09
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2020-04-23 11:54:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 14,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19150522
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_Quotesalot/pseuds/Lady_Quotesalot
Summary: Persephone rarely gets to leave the island her mother keeps her on. What happens when she gets a chance to go to a ball in the underworld? Will this sheltered girl find a whole new world of possibilities?





	1. The Library

Chapter 1: The Library

 

I step off the boat as the ferryman gives me his hand, pulling up the hem of my dress so it doesn’t dip in the river. The party is already in full swing by the time my mother and I arrive, we are definitely not the last to arrive though. I turn to see many more boats making their way towards the party, each one holding passengers clothed in fine linens and jewels. I bring my attention back to the mansion before me as I take the steps up to the ornate doors. So this is the Underworld I think to myself. The alabaster house gilded in gold seems out of place among the dark and dreary backdrop of the river styx.

 

“Persephone! Watch where you’re going! Don’t trip and fall down the stairs!”

 

I let out an involuntary sigh as I look back to see my mother rushing up to me as if ready to catch me in her arms. She is always being overprotective, constantly hovering and worried I might hurt myself. The only time she ever lets me leave the island is for events like this.

 

“I’m fine mother, I’m watching my step.” No sooner do I say that when the heel of my shoe slips a bit on the edge of the step. I catch myself quickly, but not quick enough for my mother not to see.

 

“See! I told you to watch where you’re going. You may be beautiful, but you are not graceful.” My mother was an expert in giving compliments followed by an insult. She was always there to remind me there was something I could be doing better.

 

“I’m plenty graceful, it’s these shoes you have me wearing. I can’t believe anyone can walk in heels this tall. I wish you had let me wear my boots.” I was always one to prioritize comfort and practicality over style. My mother however put her foot down over me wearing them to the ball, and instead chose a glass stiletto with flowers encased inside the crystal heel.

 

“Boots are not befitting a goddess, you know I hate it when you wear those things.”

 

“They are comfortable mother, and I like them.” I never understand why she dislikes them so much. They aren’t army boots or anything, they actually are a lovely floral print that would look great with the shade of yellow I’m wearing. I will admit that the shoes she picked out for me are gorgeous however, even if they are a few inches too tall to be completely comfortable. I’m tired of hearing her berate me about my fashion choices though. “Let’s just argue later and enjoy the ball.”

 

We come up to the entryway and continue into the large foyer. A grand staircase flows up to the second floor where many guests are milling about, drink in hand. I can also see into the ballroom to my right where dancing and mingling is occuring. I see a few people heading towards a room to the left however, and leaving with rich cakes and hearty foods. I turn to go that way, eager to try some of it. 

 

“Good evening ladies, and welcome to lord Hade’s mansion.” The footman at the door bows to us as he greets us further inside. “We have drinks and food to the left of you in the dining hall, dancing in the ballroom to your right, and the bedrooms are upstairs for a more private setting. My name is Lysias, and please enjoy your evening.” He bows once more, before greeting the next guests. I turn and ask my mother if she would like a drink before I head off on my own.

 

“No thank you dear, I think I’m going to look for Hestia. I want to tell her about the harvest this year. Don’t go too far though, you can’t trust some of these gods. You are far too young and pretty to be alone with any of them.”

 

“I can take care of myself mother, I’m 1200 years old, I’m not a child anymore”

 

“Don’t underestimate anyone by being naive.”

 

She goes off in search of my aunt, leaving me to my own devices. I make my way to the dining hall in search of something to eat. The dining hall has long tables set up with different types of food. There’s a table filled with fresh fruits, I look for my favorite, but don’t see any pomegranates. Perhaps they have all been eaten already, I see a girl in a waiters uniform however, refilling the tables so nothing runs out. I simply shrug to myself and move on. The next table has every kind of cheese imaginable. I make my way down it sampling a bit of everything, there’s a dark yellow goat cheese that is heavenly. I make a mental note to come back to that. The other tables have selections of meats, breads, and many other delicacies. There’s also a table filled with all kinds of sweets, and another table with a variety of wines. I head to the wine table to grab a glass for myself. There is a man there to pour the wine, he looks as if he has never seen the sun, his skin was pallor and had a slight grey tint to it. 

 

“Which wine would you like miss?” He gestures to the row of jugs in front of me.

 

“What’s that one?” I point to a jug on the end filled with a pale liquid and has bubbles rising to the top.

 

“That would be champagne. It’s quite good and is a favorite among the other gods and goddesses. It’s slightly sweet, and it’s fizzy, which is why some people call it ‘bubbly’.”

 

“I’ll have some of that please!” He pours some into a tall skinny glass and hands it to me. “Thank you sir, have a nice night.” I take a sip as I walk off and have to resist the urge to spit it out. It’s not sweet at all, it’s quite bitter and tastes like unripe fruit. Why do people like this I wonder. I keep the glass so as not to seem rude, and walk out into the hall.

 

I don’t quite feel like dancing, and I also don’t feel like mingling. I’ve never really fit in with the other gods and goddesses at Olympus. Partially because I grew up secluded on an island, and partially because Hera hates me. I think that’s one of the reasons that my mother doesn’t go to Olympus much anymore. She says it’s because she’s needed on earth to help the plants, but I suspect it’s also because Hera hasn’t forgiven her yet. Hera tolerates the other illegitimate children of her husband, but I think it’s different with me because my mother is her sister. She hates my mother for betraying her and hates me as a byproduct of that betrayal. I can’t help it who my parents are, not that I’ve had much of a father anyway. I'm pretty sure I’ve seen him all of 3 times, all three times at balls I’ve attended in Olympus. I don’t mind much, Olympus is great and all, heaven technically, but it’s boring. Everyone just sits around drinking or arguing about whatever drama happened that week. I much prefer the earth, with its fruits, and trees, and flowers, especially flowers.

 

Being that this is my first, and possibly only, time visiting the Underworld though, I want to take the chance to look around. I decide to explore the mansion a bit. The only rooms off the foyer are the dining hall and ballroom, one I’ve already seen, and the other is not worth seeing. I make my way down the hall, past the ballroom, to see the other rooms. Walking, I pass a mirror and notice a stain on my dress. I move closer to get a better look. Right on the top of the bodice, near the sleeve, is a brown smudge. Chocolate. I think back to the cake I had with the rich chocolate icing on it. My mother would be mad at me if she saw my gorgeous yellow gown marred because of my sweet tooth. Looking back at the mirror I get an idea. I unpin one of the orange flowers from my hair and pin it on my dress, perfectly covering the stain. A dark curled ringlet falls on the side of my face, no longer held back by the peony. The rest of my curls stay in place though, in the intricate updo one of the nymphs did for me. Satisfied, I continue my way down the corridor. Most of the rooms I pass are of no consequence: a small sitting room, a bathroom, a cloak room filled with elegant furs and silks, another bathroom. Nothing is really holding my interest until I come up to a large set of double doors. The doors have a carving of a tree engraved in the dark wood, with gold leafing accenting the leaves. I excitedly try the handle, but its locked. Disappointed I keep walking until I come across an intricate spiral staircase. 

 

I can’t resist my temptation to climb it, sliding my hand along the golden handrail as I go. The staircase simply seems to go to the second floor, however it’s much quieter in this wing of the mansion. The first four doors I try are simply empty bedrooms and another bathroom. This place sure seems to have a lot of bathrooms. I walk to the next door and swing it open, I can’t contain my gasp as I see the contents of the room.

 

The door opens into a large library, shelves upon shelves filled with books. I’ve never seen so many books, the library at home doesn’t hold a candle to this. I’ve actually come in at the second floor of the library, on a wrap around balcony. A staircase down to the bottom floor is across the room from me, I meander my way over looking at titles as I go. The section I’m in seems to be books and tomes about geography and politics. I pass a section of wall with no shelves, but instead a collection of maps. I spot a map of greece. My island home, just below Anagyrous, seems very small comparatively. Most of the other maps are of places I don’t recognize, I never knew the world was so large. I have a sudden urge to see all the places on the maps, perhaps I can convince my mother to take me. 

 

I reach the stairs and begin making my way down. The bottom floor has tall shelves lining the walls, reaching the ceiling. I see some ladders to help reach the top rows. Across the room from me are presumably the big double doors I came across earlier, they have the same engraving on the inside as well. Large reading chairs are scattered around the room, as well as small tables meant for holding stacks of books. I begin to peruse the shelves to my left, excited to see some familiar titles. I’ve always loved poems, I see a few from my favorite authors, as well as many I’m unfamiliar with. I set my champagne on a table nearby as I grab a title I haven’t read and begin thumb through it’s pages.

 

“Do you like to read?”

 

A voice comes from right behind me as I give out a small shriek and nearly drop the book I’m holding. I turn around to see a man I don't recognize in a fine suit. He is quite handsome, with bright, piercing dark eyes, and dark hair with slight silver streaks. He appears to be holding in a laugh, seemingly amused at my sudden start.

 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.” He puts his hands in his pants pockets as he hunches slightly to make himself smaller. He's quite tall, almost half a foot above my own height, although it's hard to tell with my heels on.

 

“Oh, It’s okay, I just thought I was alone in here. Where did you come from?”

 

He gestures with his head over to one of the sitting chairs opposite the room. “You seemed very preoccupied with the books.” Even though he isn't smiling, his eyes are kind.

 

I try not to blush at my obliviousness to his presence. “Why are you in here anyway? Why are you not with the other gods and goddesses?”

 

“Oh well, I’m not really one of them. Not my crowd if you know what I mean.” He pulls his hands out of his pockets and fiddles with his cuffs nervously as he speaks.

 

“Oh I see, do you work for the Underworld then? I'm sorry, I don't get out much, so I don't know many gods.” He might be one of the house staff, or other associate of Hades. He's obviously not a nymph, and is very fair skinned, similar to the other Underworld employees I've seen tonight.

 

“You could say that.” His eyes are smiling and his mouth twitches in the corner, as if laughing at his own private joke. 

 

I suddenly have a fear that I've intruded into a private space. The first floor door was locked after all. “I apologize if I’m not supposed to be here, I was simply looking around. The mansion is gorgeous.”

 

“No need to apologize, guests are technically welcome anywhere, anywhere in the west wing that is. So do you like poetry?” He looks pointedly at the book I’m holding, changing the subject before I have a chance to ask what’s in the east wing.

 

“Oh!” I turn my attention back to the book in my hands. “Yes I do, I love all reading, but poetry is my favorite. I'm afraid my library needs a bit of updating though. By two or three millennia.”

 

“Have you ever read the poem ‘To His Soul’?”

 

“Yes I have, I believe Archilochus wrote that one, it’s quite good. Some of my favorites are the poems of Sappho. She writes so beautifully, love poems are my favorite.”

 

“I much prefer the works of Aratus.”

 

I can't help but scoff at his remark. “Aratus? Don’t be stupid, didactic poetry is so dull. Poetry should be beautiful and evoke emotions. The only thing Aratus evokes is a good night's snooze. Only an absolute idiot thinks didactic poetry is better than lyrical.” He slightly smirks as he listens to me, as if laughing at another private joke. I realize that I was being quite callous to a perfect stranger. Embarrassed I apologize. “I’m sorry, that was incredibly rude. I’m very opinionated and my mother says I lack tact. I’m sure you have very valid reasons for liking Aratus.”

 

“No, no, please, I welcome your opinions. I will agree that his work can be quite dull, I’ve just always liked his phrasing. Shall I tell you some of my other interests so you can ridicule those as well?” His eyes are laughing as he jokes with me about my judgements. “I also prefer dull colors, unlike your striking gown. The color suits you very well however.”

 

“Thank you" I say proudly. "Yellow is one of my favorite colors. I like bright colors, they each have their own personality.”

 

“Oh? pray tell.” He looks at me with great interest, as if genuinely wanting to hear how I respond. Most people don't really care what I have to say, only listening because they are being polite. I meet his eyes, he holds my gaze for a second before motioning me to answer.

 

“Well, for instance, yellow is happy and joyful, where as blues are calm and grace." He is patient and attentive as he listens while I list off more colors. "Reds are passion and emotion, greens are excitement and life.”

 

“And what does orange say?” He tucks my stray curl behind my ear before fingering the petals of one of the orange peonies decorating my hair. I feel a heat begin to creep up my cheeks as his fingers brush my skin.

 

“Orange is special, orange is love. Not the pink kind of romantic love of first lovers. Orange is a stronger love, the love of family. The love of quiet afternoons reading, love for a rainy day, love that you can feel in your toes.”

 

“That is special.” He gives me a soft smile before he quirks up an eyebrow. “And what does grey say?” I know he is asking, to tease me, seeing how his own suit is grey.

 

“Grey is for dull, boring, incredibly uneventful people.” I roll my eyes to jokingly dramatize my disdain for it. “Colors are life, grey is the opposite, grey is death.” He can’t contain a laugh when I say that.

 

“Well then I would say it’s perfect for someone who works in the Underworld.”

 

“Perfect indeed.” I say smiling at our joke. We continue to talk for a while, laughing about jokes, and sharing opinions on books and poems. He always waits until I finish talking before responding. He must not be a god, I've never met a god who didn't take over the entire conversation. I would love to stay here chatting with him the whole night if I could. However, I decide I should get back before my mother worries too much. 

 

“I should probably return to the party, will I see you out there?” I hope I don't sound too desperate, but I also really hope he says yes.

 

“I do have to go out at some point tonight.” He runs a hand over his face before brushing it through his hair. He doesn’t look too particularly happy at the prospect, my heart begins to sink a little. “Save me a dance?” His sudden invitation catches me off guard as I try to hide my elation, but a smile creeps on my face. 

 

“I would love to. We will see if my mother allows it though, she can be a bit overprotective.” I cross my fingers in my mind as I secretly wish for a dance.

 

“Ah I see, well one can always hope.” He gives me a tender smile as he speaks gently. When I turn to go back up the stairs, he stops me. “Don’t forget your glass.” He gestures to my still full champagne glass I set on the table.

 

“Right … don’t want to forget that … can’t waste it.” I hesitantly make my way over to retrieve my unwanted drink.

 

He seems to sense my apprehension. “Do you not like champagne?”

 

“Honesty, it’s not very good. I don’t see what all the fuss is about.” 

 

He chuckles slightly. “I’ve never cared for it either. Here, why don’t I take your glass for you, and you can just go through these doors rather than going back up the stairs.” He points to the carved double doors behind me as he picks up my neglected glass.

 

“Oh, thank you." I can't quite bring myself to leave, but I do need to get back. "Goodbye ... I uh ... enjoyed our conversation.” I turn to leave, beating myself up internally for my awkward goodbye. As I’m walking off he grabs my hand, bringing my knuckles to his lips, placing a soft and gentle kiss on them.

 

“Goodbye, I had a lovely time talking with you as well Persephone. Enjoy the party.”

 

I’m a bit startled when he uses my name, considering I never gave it to him. “How do you know my name?”

 

“It’s my job to know.” He winks at me, taking a sip from my champagne, as I exit the library to make my way back to the party. I can't help but smile as I close the doors behind me.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's read and left kudos. I slightly edited this chapter to better fit some parts in future chapters. Comment if you have any questions or thoughts! I'd love to read them.


	2. The Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will we find out just who Persephone's mystery man is?

 

 

Chapter 2 : The Dance

 

I make my way back to the foyer, our conversation still on my mind. I blush again thinking about the way his kissed my hand before I left. I’m still puzzled about how he knew my name, and what did he mean by, ‘it’s my job to know’? I have other questions awaiting answers as well, like what’s in the east wing? Why was the first floor door of the library locked, but the second floor left unlocked? I mull over possible theories as I reach the ballroom. I quickly spot my mother in her emerald gown, and avoid her gaze by ducking behind some nymphs gossiping loudly in the corner. I see Artemis and Apollo across the room and navigate my way through the crowd, careful to keep my mother from seeing me.

 

“Kore! Kore darling!” I flinch at my childhood nickname. My mother may not have spotted me in my evasion, but unfortunately, my aunt Hestia did. She comes to stand in front of me, blocking the path to my escape. She gives me a one armed hug, careful not to spill the glass she’s holding, filled to the brim with champagne.

 

“I haven’t seen you in ages! You look absolutely beautiful tonight.” She caresses the side of my face as she talks, untucking the curl behind my ear to repin it with the others. “Have you given any more thought to becoming a goddess of eternal maidenhood? We would love to have you in our ranks.” My aunt is always pushing me to be an eternal maiden whenever we have a conversation, and I always give her the same answer.

 

“I’m not sure aunt Hestia, there’s still a lot to think about.” I wasn’t really sure I wanted the commitment of being a maiden for all eternity. My aunt never gives up trying to convince me however.

 

“Well keep thinking about it, Artemis I’m sure would love to have you join us. She takes her duty very seriously, she pretty much won’t even talk to men except for her brother. She is a perfect example of true maidenhood.” I try not to snort when my aunt comments on Artemis’s “maidenhood”. Artemis was never one to care for the company of men in the first place. Apollo on the other hand cares enough for both of them.

 

“Yes dear aunt, we should all try to be more like Artemis. Actually I see her now, so if you don’t mind I’ll go speak to her about being a virgin goddess.” Hestia gives me a huge smile as she encourages me to speak to Artemis. I finally make my way over to the twins and plop down in the chair next to Apollo. “Please tell me this ball is almost over.”

 

“Well hello to you too,” Apollo replies sarcastically. “And where have you been all night?”

 

“Yeah,” Artemis chimes in to the conversation. “I spoke to your mother, and she said you were in the dining hall, but you were nowhere to be found.” Artemis turns in her chair to face me, draping her legs over the arm. Her suit pants pull up a bit as she does this, and I can see that her socks don't match. She takes a sip from her wine as she raises an eyebrow at me.

 

“I have been abandoned here! All night! By myself! Have you no compassion.” Apollo dramatically sinks into his chair when he says this, causing his jacket to pull up to his ears.

 

“Oh please,” Artemis rolls her eyes. “You were not alone, you had me!” Apollo sits back up in the chair indignantly when his sister says this.

 

“You were off talking to that water nymph! I was tossed to the curb like day old bread!” He brings the back of his hand to his head and pretends to be faint.

 

“I was talking to her for like twenty minutes! And don’t pretend like I didn’t see you flirting with that waiter boy while I was gone. You had plenty of company.” Apollo sticks out his tongue at her, inducing her to retaliate in kind. She turns her attention back to me, taking another drink of wine. “So where did you run off to anyway?”

 

“I was exploring the mansion. And avoiding my mother and Hera.” I do feel a tinge of guilt for ignoring my friends for most of the night.

 

“You were exploring the mansion for two hours?” Artemis stares at me suspiciously, not fully believing my story.

 

“Well, I did sorta meet someone. A man I’ve never met.” Apollo’s face lights up when I say this.

 

“OH! Spill! Who is he? Anyone we know?”

 

“Well I don’t know his name, but he did say he works for the Underworld.”

 

“Ooooh, a mysterious bad boy. Go on.” He waves his hand at me, eager to hear more of the story.

 

“Well I bumped into him in the library, you should have seen this library. There were walls of books, and maps, and it was two stories tall, and--”

 

“Ugh snooze,” he interjects. “Get to the good stuff, what did you two talk about?”

 

“Well, we mostly talked about books.”

 

“And?” He stretches the word, trying to pull more of the story out of me.

 

“And then I left and came back here to the ballroom.” I’m met with silence as Apollo stares me down.

 

“That’s it? You just talked about books? That was the most boring story I’ve heard all night, and I had to listen to Dionysus talk about how to make wines.”

 

“Is he here right now?” Artemis cranes her neck as she scans to room, hoping for a glimpse of my mystery man. “What does he look like?”

 

“Well he has pale skin and dark hair.”

 

“Oh good,” Apollo remarks sarcastically “That narrows it down to only everyone who works in the Underworld.”

 

“Well he was also very handsome.” I say sheepishly

 

“Excuse me, only half of the people who work in the Underworld.” He also pivots in his chair to face me mimicking his sisters position, but only draping one leg over the chair arm.

 

“I’m sorry, I don’t have a lot of information about him. But he did say he would have to stop by at some point tonight. I promised to save him a dance, so I’ll point him out when I see him.” I’m hoping he didn’t forget and does show.

 

“Ooh, a dance with a handsome stranger. What did your mother say about that?” Artemis turns to face forward in her chair as she speaks.

 

“My mother doesn’t know, I have been successful in avoiding her since I got here. I did not manage to avoid Hestia though.” I make a quick glance around the room to make sure I’m still out of sight of my mother and aunt.

 

“Ugh! Did she ask you about becoming a goddess of eternal maidenhood again? I only joined because I have no interest in men and I was tired of people asking me about them. Plus I was tired of her hounding me all the time. She is relentless.” She sighs and slouches in her chair.

 

“I know, you don’t have to tell me about it. She’s always trying to convince me into eternal virginity. I managed to get away by saying I was going to talk to you, her model pupil, about possibly joining.”

 

“Ha! Sure, ‘model pupil’. That’s a laugh!” Apollo gets a smack on the arm from his sister at that comment. “Oh please, we all know you’re only a technical ‘maiden’ because maidenhood is only in relevance to men.”

 

“It’s not my fault that society thinks that way, I am simply profiting off of it.” She is about to continue speaking when something catches her attention, and she sits up straight. “Okay guys, don’t look now, but Hades just walked in.” Apollo quickly spins in his chair to face the entrance eagerly looking for the lord of the Underworld. “What did I just say? You are being super obvious." She keeps her eyes in the direction of the entrance to the room. "He usually doesn’t come to the balls, but I guess he’s making an appearance, since he is technically the host this time, and it’s his house.”

 

“Which one is he? I don’t see him.” Apollo cranes his neck to see over the other guests.

 

“Stop doing that, he’s going to see you! He’s the god over by the doorway looking around.”

 

There are too many people blocking my view to see him from where I’m seated. “Why doesn't anybody like Hades anyway? I always hear bad stories about him. Is he mean or something?” Most of the stories I hear though are from my mother.

 

“He’s not mean persay, he’s just very composed and cold. He never talks to anyone and is a bit off putting. He's also very harsh in his job. Punishing mortals and judging them after they die? I don't think I could ever do that job. Plus he works down here in the Underworld, no one wants to come down here under normal circumstances.” She takes a sip of her wine before speaking again. “His house is gorgeous though, I can’t believe this is my first time down here. I understand now why he’s the god of wealth.” She looks away from the door quickly. “Oh my gods, he looked over at me and he’s coming this way. We made eye contact! Do you think I made him mad by staring.” She sounds actually worried and I’m starting to wonder just what kind of god Hades is.

 

“Oh I think I see him now, is he the one walking past Helios?” Artemis takes a quick peek at her brother's request, and confirms his suspicion. “He is very handsome, if you like older guys. Personally, not my type. He does look stern though, maybe his is mad at you.

 

“Which one is he? The one holding the glass of red wine?” I still haven’t managed to see him.

 

“No, he’s walking this way with his hands in his pocket. Past the goddess in the blue dress dancing.” Apollo doesn’t point, but he does tilt his head in the direction for me to look. I stand up from my seat to get a better view and let out a gasp when I see who he is talking about.

 

“That’s lord Hades?” Hades is looking right at me as he continues to walk over to us, until I am face to face with my mystery man.

 

The twins quickly stand up to address our host. “Thank you for inviting us to your house lord Hades. Your mansion is beautiful.” Hades looks away from me to speak to Artemis.

 

“I’m glad you think so, are you enjoying the party?”

 

“Very much so, the wine is delicious.” She takes a nervous gulp as if to emphasize this point. Apollo is too busy trying not look directly at him, but also not looking away, to speak up.

 

“That’s good to hear.” He brings his attention back to me as he holds out his hand. “I believe you have a dance saved for me?”

 

Artemis makes a small choking sound as she swallows her drink. Apollo’s jaw drops as he looks at me incredulously. I am blushing furiously as I take his extended hand.

 

“Umm, yes I do.” I let him lead me out to the dance floor. I turn to look back at the twins apologetically, for leaving them again. Apollo still has the same expression on his face.

 

“Is that him?” Artemis mouths, talking about my mystery man. I nod in response, and she copies her brothers face in shock. I turn back to Hades as we reach the dance floor. He turns to face me, placing my free hand on his shoulder and putting his on my waist. He begins to dance with me, a small smile on his lips. I can still feel myself blushing, I’m absolutely sure my face is the same shade as Artemis’s wine. Hades seems to sense my awkwardness.

 

“Did I embarrass you back there?” He waits patiently for me to speak as he continues to move me across the dance floor.

 

“You’re Hades? Of the Underworld? Lord Hades?” He laughs at my surprise of realizing his identity.

 

“Yes I believe that has been established. I am indeed Hades.” he still chuckles at my shocked expression.

 

“You said the other gods and goddesses weren’t ‘your crowd’ and that you worked for the Underworld!”

 

“I prefer solitude over the company of the other gods. And I do work for the Underworld, I am simply it’s caretaker.” His complete nonchalance is infuriating.

 

“Ha! Sure, just the caretaker. Why didn’t you just tell me who you were?”

 

“Most people don’t talk to me like a normal person. People are usually overly respectful, afraid to insult me in any way. Or they're so afraid they don't speak at all. It’s quite exhausting actually.” His eyes grow soft as he speaks. “You however talked to me like anybody else. When I learned it was because you had no idea who I was, I didn’t want that to change. It was very refreshing, no one has ever spoken to me like that before.”

 

I think back to all the things I said to him. I feel my face grow hotter as I remember some of my comments. “Oh my gods, I said you were dull and I called you an idiot.” I take the hand that was on his shoulder and cover my face with it. “I told the lord of the Underworld he was a dull idiot.”

 

Hades laughs loudly at this, throwing his head back. “Yes you did, an ‘absolute idiot’ if I recall correctly.” I groan, thinking about other rude things I said to him. I bring my hand down to cover my mouth.

 

“I’m so sorry.” My words are slightly muffled from behind my fingers.

 

“Don’t be.” He gently takes my wrist to pry my hand off my face, and places it back on his shoulder. “As I said before, I greatly enjoyed talking with you. I was nice to have a normal conversation with someone.”

 

“So you forgive me?” He spins me under his arm before replying.

 

“There was never any question about it.” He pulls me back to him a bit closer than before as he sways me to the music. My skin tingles where his hand is on my back. I look up at him and wonder why anyone would ever think he was cold. His eyes are a warm umber, and the way he’s looking at me could melt even stone. One question still comes to the front of my mind.

 

“What did you mean earlier when you knew my name and said ‘it’s my job to know’?”

 

“Oh that’s easy. As the keeper of the Underworld, it’s part of my job to oversee every life, including the immortal ones. To put it simply, I know everybody.” My face cracks into a grin at hearing this.

 

“Really?” I raise an eyebrow at him. “Everybody?” He slows down his pace as he looks at me apprehensively. “Who’s that?” I point over to a wood nymph standing by the wall.

 

“That would be Eulalia.” I point out another guest.

 

“Who’s that then.” I pick out a god I’m unfamiliar with.

 

“That is Asclepius.” He meets my eyes. “Anyone else?” His voice is laughing as he challenges me to pick out more guests for him to name.

 

“No, I believe you. You know everybody.” I look over his shoulder and spot my mother watching us, fuming. “Uh oh, my mother spotted us, and she doesn’t look happy. Does she know who you are?”

 

“Persephone, I'm pretty sure everybody but you knows who I am. But yes, Demeter and I have met on many occasions. Unfortunately she’s never particularly liked me.” We have turned while dancing, so that Hades now faces her. “She coming over this way.” He lets go of me as my mother comes up to us.

 

“Persephone, could I please cut into this dance and have a moment alone with Hades?” It’s very clear she is not asking as she begins to pull me away from him. Hades bows slightly to me.

 

“Thank you for the dance.” He looks down at me and gives me a smile before turning to my mother, taking her hand. They both walk away from me as I go back to my seat by Artemis and Apollo.

 

I barely get within three feet of my chair when Apollo grabs me by the arm and pulls me into his seat as he takes my previous one.

 

“Oh my gods, HADES IS YOUR MYSTERY MAN?!” I shush him before he gets too loud. “Tell me everything, what did you talk about? Is he a good dancer? Does he smell nice?”

 

“What? Does he smell nice? What kind of question is that?” Artemis looks disgusted at her brothers choice of quiry. “I want to hear about what he’s like.”

 

“Spill the deets girl.” Both of the twins scoot in closer to me, anxiously awaiting any information. My attention however is still on the dance floor with Hades and my mother. She looks angry as she speaks to him. His expression remains neutral, but his eyebrows are set low. Their conversation and consequential dance ends abruptly as he walks off suddenly and leaves the ballroom.

 

“Helloooo? Earth to Persephone?” Artemis waves her hand in front of my face bringing my attention back to her. “Did you hear anything we just said?”

 

“Sorry, yes. I will tell you all about it later, I promise. Right now I have to go speak to my mother.” I get up to find her in the crowd, ignoring the twins pleas for me to stay and tell them about it now. I spot her talking to another goddess and march over to her.

 

“Where did Hades go?” My tone comes off a bit harsh.

 

“That is none of your concern anymore. You won’t be seeing him again.” She turns back to her previous conversation, as if to say the discussion is over.

 

“What did you say to him? Why did he leave the room?”

 

“I simply told him my you are far too young to become the play thing of the gods. I’m not going to have him ruin my daughter.” I am incredulous at my mother.

 

“I was not his play thing mother, he was a perfect gentleman around me. All we did in the library was talk about books. And when we were danc--.”

 

“The library? Were you alone with him? How could you be so stupid girl! Do you know what he could have done to you?” My mother scolds me for my lack of judgement.

 

“Hades was very nice to me mother, he’s not at all like people say he is. I had a lovely conversation with him, and a lovely dance until you interrupted.” It was a perfectly lovely dance until she had to go and spoil it all.

 

“Don’t be naive Kore, all gods seem nice. That’s just what he wants you to think, with time he will prove to be quite different.” She continues to talk down to me as if I’m still a child.

 

“Don’t call me Kore, I am not a kid anymore. I am a fully grown woman capable of making my own judgments and decisions. Don’t speak to me like I’m still a child.”

 

She cuts me off again. “I will speak to you like a child when you act like a child. I am just trying to protect you. You barely know anything of the world, you have hardly left the island. You would be wise to listen to my advice.”

 

“Of course I’ve never left the island. You never let me! How am I supposed to learn about the world if you never let me see it!” I start to raise my voice as my frustration grows.

 

“Don’t raise your voice at me. I am your mother and I know what’s best for you. End of discussion.” She turns to walk away from me. I grab her arm to stop her, and she turns back to me. “I said end of discussion.” She jerks her arm out of my grasp and walks off in the opposite direction. Angry at my mother, I leave the ballroom to find a more quiet place to calm down. Remembering what Lysias said about private rooms, I head up the stairs to the second floor.

 

When I reach the top of the stairs I see two hallways on either side of me with doors lining the walls. Many of the doors are open but some are already closed. I catch a glimpse of Ares and Aphrodite closing the door to a nearby room. I turn to the left, heading towards an open room, when a couple runs over to it. They are spilling the contents of their glasses all over the floor before slamming the bedroom door closed. I suddenly rethink my idea of finding quiet anywhere near here. I continue my way down the hall, trying every door until I find one unlocked. With my search coming up unfruitful I head down to the very end of the hall where there are some glass doors leading out to a balcony. I open one and am elated to find the balcony deserted. I close the door behind me as I enjoy a bit of solitude.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave any comments or criticism! :) :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hades turns out to be Persephone's mystery man. Will her mother stand in the way of her happiness?

Chapter 3 : The Garden

 

The balcony overlooks a large garden on the grounds below. Statues dot the garden, as well as a large fountain. Tall hedges sit further behind, twisting and twirling together in a maze. The balcony rail curves around and curls on either end into identical spiral staircases.

 

I breathe in the cool air as I lean against the railing. The air smells different down here, not quite as fresh. I close my eyes to let what small breeze there is wash over my face. The cold night air feels nice against my flushed cheeks. I open my eyes again and spot a flash of grey below. I look down and see Hades coming out of the hedge maze at the edge of the garden. He makes his way over to the fountain where he stands with his back to me. Eager to speak to him again, I rush down the stairs. As I make my way over to the fountain I pass all manner of flowers. Most of them are dark in hue, tenebrous shades of ruby and amethyst. Others are variations of black and white in striking patterns. All of them are beautiful, together in gothic harmony. I come up behind him quietly as I reach the fountain.

 

“You have a beautiful garden.” I obviously startle him because I see his shoulders jump. I make no effort to contain my laughter. “I'd say that I didn’t mean to startle you, but it wouldn’t be true.” Hades turns around obviously embarrassed because his ears have a hint of red.

 

He clears his throat before speaking. “This is the only place in the kingdom where anything grows.” He pulls down on the edge of his jacket to straighten it. “Everything else is just ash and decay.” He stares off past the mansion grounds to the rest of the Underworld. He looks a little sad when he turns back to me. It's only for a brief moment before he regains his usual composure. “Hecate is responsible for the garden." I've never heard the name before.

 

"Who is Hecate?" I'm beginning to realize that my knowledge of the underworld is very limited.

 

"She runs my house and many of my affairs. She's pretty much my right hand. I also let her have free reign with the design of the grounds and house. She has a much better eye for those things than me.” He picks a nearby rose in a deep burgundy. “I will say though that this one is quite a nice color.” He twirls the flower between his fingers before presenting it to me.

 

I marvel at the perfect specimen of a rose. “That’s high praise coming from a man who only likes grey.”

 

“I never said I only like grey, I just prefer it. Grey is distinguished.” He brushes some invisible dust off his sleeve, and pulls down on his jacket hem to emphasize his point.

 

“Distinguished?!” I can’t help but laugh at his ridiculous statement. I double over and have to hold my stomach from laughing so hard. “Stuffy is a better word.” I think of Hera and her hoity toity grey slacks she often wears.

 

“You really don’t like grey do you?” Hades lets loose a smirk as he talks. He starts to circle around the fountain, hands clasped behind him. He still looks at me as he walks, and I begin to circle the opposite way.

 

“Well maybe you can change my mind.” I flash a flirty smile at him, and he looks away from me quickly, his ears turning a more vibrant complexion of crimson. He lets out a nervous cough before speaking.

 

“I don’t believe that anything can change your mind, once it’s made up.” He seems to know me pretty well already, although that’s not a hard thing to guess. I often make my opinions known, when I have them. I have been known to change my mind before however.

 

“I’m not so prideful that I can’t admit when I have misjudged something.” Hades murmurs thoughtfully as he and I get closer together around the fountain.

 

I twirl the fully bloomed rose in my hand, breathing in it’s fragrance, as our paths coincide. We meet standing only a few inches apart, I’m so close that I have to tilt up my chin to meet his eyes. He gently takes the flower from my hand, before snapping off part of the stem. He moves a lock of hair and tucks the flower behind my ear, his fingers lingering ever so slightly on my neck. I can feel the blush creeping up to my face. He clears his throat before taking a step back. I look over to the side feeling a bit foolish. Am I being foolish? Is he being sincere, or is he simply toying with me like my mother said. Do I believe he's actually interested in me because I want him too, or because it's true. Questions begin swirling in my head when I'm distracted by something I see in the corner of my vision.

 

"You do have pomegranates." I walk over to the tree rooted at the center of the garden. "How come there weren't any inside?" I reach up to pick one when I feel a hand stop mine. I turn around to see an anxious looking Hades. He pulls my hand down from the tree.

 

"You can take anything from the garden, except that. Never that." More questions swirl through my head. Why can the fruit not be picked? And why does he sound so urgent. Is this why there weren't any at the party? More unanswered questions to add to the ever growing pile.

 

"Why not?" Hades seems to suddenly realize he's still holding my hand because he looks down briefly before quickly dropping mine. His ears grow red again and he makes another nervous cough.

 

"Not everything down here is what it seems." He appears unable to decide what to do with his hands now. He fiddles with his cuffs in the same nervous fashion as before. He ultimately decides to shove his hands in his slack pockets. I try to lighten to mood a bit, and maybe have some questions answered.

 

"So does that mean you're not devilishly charming like you seem?" I raise up on my tiptoes to look him in the eyes. He seems to shrink back under my gaze, the red staining his cheeks further.

 

"I think you're giving me far more credit than I deserve. Most people would describe me as the opposite of charming. The word used most often to describe me is … 'stuffy'." I stare at him a bit longer, searching his eyes. Satisfied with what I find, I sink back down on my heels.

 

"I still have more questions." Hades looks at me patiently before nodding his head. "What's the real story behind the pomegranates?" He's quite a moment before answering.

 

"That is a story … for another time. Ask another one." He begins to pace back to the fountain. I'm not giving up quite so easily though. I follow him and press the issue further.

 

"Why is it a story for another time?"

 

"Ask another one."He repeats the same answer, refusing to budge. It appears that Hades is just as stubborn as I am.

 

"Does the story have to do with why there were none in the dining hall?" My question is met with silence. "Come on, at least answer this one, it's only a yes or no answer."

 

He stops and turns to face me, giving a frustrated smile before answering. "Yes it does." One question partially answered. "Anything else?" He stares me down, half a smile playing on the corners of his mouth. "Anything not pertaining to the pomegranates that is." That subject is closed it seems. I have plenty of other questions though.

 

"What's in the east wing?" His left eyebrow jumps up and he looks confused by my question. "You said earlier in the library that guests were allowed 'anywhere in the west wing that is', so what secret is in the east wing that makes it off limits." The confusion falls from his face

 

"Oh, that's no secret." He finishes the walk to the fountain, sitting on the wide stone lip. "Mine and the staff's living quarters are in the east wing, as well as my office. I simply wanted to keep it private is all." That makes sense, I wouldn't want people poking around my personal space either. Something about his answer though doesn't quite make sense. I sit beside him, joining him on the makeshift bench.

 

"You said yours and the staff's quarters were in the east wing. Isn't the servants quarters usually on the top floor?" Apollo used to have a crush on one of the footmen in Olympus and would always tell me stories of how he used to sneak upstairs to see him.

 

"My staff are not servants, so I will not treat them as such. They are like my family, they live in the same wing as I do." My face must reflect some of my shock. "Does that surprise you?"

 

"No, it's just, what I've seen in Olympus is very different." His brow furrows.

 

"My brothers and I have never quite seen eye to eye on quite a few subjects." He looks off to the side. "There are many reasons I don't get along with the other gods, morals being one of them." He looks back to me, his gaze softening. "But that is another story for a different time."

 

"This seems to be a recurring theme. Does this mean I will get to see you another time?" I cross my fingers in my mind and wish for a yes.

 

His face clouds over. He rubs his hand on the back of his neck. "I'm not so sure your mother is very keen on that." My mother. Somehow she's always at the bottom of every one of my problems.

 

"What did she say to you earlier?" I'm sure it wasn't anything nice knowing her. She would do anything for me. Anything except actually listen to what I want.

 

"Demeter said, in no uncertain terms, that I was not to see you again. She also said a few choice words about her feelings for me. She obviously cares very much for you." He looks over at me softly, his eyes full of guilt. "I think it would be best if we didn't see each other again."

 

My heart drops, and I feel my face grow hot. I stand up and turn away from him so he won't see. My mother is always putting her feelings above my own. She shouldn't get to say who I see and who I don't. She always treats me like a china doll. She keeps me locked away in her cabinet so I can stay perfect and unharmed. Just the way she likes me. Angry tears begin to spill down my cheeks. I wipe them away hurriedly. I feel fingers wrap around mine, but I don't turn around.

 

"I'm sorry Persephone. I really do think it's best." His grip on my hand tightens.

 

I whirl around to face him. "Is that really what you think? Or are you just saying that because it's what she wants?" He looks taken aback at my tone. He stands up and pulls a handkerchief out of his jacket pocket. He takes a step closer to me and gently wipes away the tears hiding among my freckles. He hands it to me before sitting back down on the fountain edge.

 

He looks up at me with tortured eyes. "Of course I want to see you again. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed talking to someone as much as you." He looks down at his shoes and speaks to the ground. "Your mother made it clear though that you would no longer be attending any events hosted in the Underworld." I sit down beside him again in silence. I wipe away the rest of my tears and change the subject.

 

"Will you take a walk with me in the garden?" He lifts his head to look at me and gives me a small smile.

 

"It would be my absolute pleasure." He stands up and extends his arm out for me to hold. I wrap my arm around his and follow him through the garden. He points out different things of interest as we walk and I point out different flowers.

 

"That one's a hollyhock, and that's hellebore." We continue walking through the garden when I get an idea. "What if you came to earth? Or Olympus? My mother can't ban you from everywhere." He keeps walking in thoughtful silence.

 

"That might be possible. I'm normally not welcome places unless there's a ball though."

 

"So then come to the next ball! It will be perfect." My spirits start to raise, and I can't keep a wide smile off my face. Hades looks at me and lets out a small laugh.

 

"How can I say no to a face like that?" We've circled back around and reached the fountain again. I'm about to speak when I hear my name called.

 

"Persephone!" I turn around towards the voice and see Artemis on the balcony searching for me.

 

"I'd better go, I've been a terrible friend all night. I should make it up to her. Promise me you'll come to the next ball." He takes my hand and brings it to his lips.

 

"I promise." He kisses the back of my hand gently before releasing my hand. "Till next time then." I turn towards the stairs leading up to the balcony. Hades takes a few steps forward, stopping to lean on a rose covered archway at the garden entrance. I turn back to wave goodbye as I start my way up the steps. This was a mistake, causing my heel to slip off the edge of the step. I lose my balance and have to grip the stair rail to keep from falling. I regain my composure and stand up straight. I look over my shoulder to see if he saw that. I can only see his profile as he's looking away from me. His hand is over his mouth, and I can see that he is trying extremely hard to keep from laughing. These damn shoes. Keeping what dignity I have left I make my way up to the balcony.

 

Artemis sees me as I reach the top steps. "There you are. You mother is looking for you, she's ready to leave." She notices the rose in my hair. "That's new, did you pick that from the garden?"

 

I pull the flower out from behind my ear. "Actually it was a gift." I bury my nose in it and breathe in it's perfume. I wave my hand over it and use a bit of my powers to keep it blooming eternally. I look back up to Artemis who's giving me a one sided smirk.

 

"A gift huh? I wonder who it could be from? Come on lover girl, you don't want you mother to find you out here." I let her pull me inside as I take one last look at the garden. Hades is standing below looking up at me. He gives a small wave as he disappears from my view. Artemis and I hurry down the hallway back to the front stairwell. We get to the bottom of the steps and I see my mother and Apollo exiting the ballroom.

 

"Oh Persephone there you are." My mother walks over and gives me a hug. "Come dear, it's time to leave." She turns her attention to Artemis. "Thank you for finding her Artemis. Where did you run off to?" She turns back to me to ask of my whereabouts.

 

"She was in the bathroom. Artemis interrupts and answers for me. " She said some of the food didn't agree with her." She looks over to me and gives a small wink. I really don't deserve a friend like her. I will definitely have to make this up to her.

 

"Oh, are you coming down with something?" My mother feels my forehead and my cheeks. "You do feel a bit warm, we should get you home and in bed." She does love to dote on me. She pretty much acts as if our fight before never happened. Which is typical of her.

 

"Mother, you know gods can't get sick." I let here lead me to the door though, it's faster than arguing.

 

"Better safe than sorry, I don't want anything to happen to you. I love you far too much to let that happen. Goodbye Artemis dear, goodbye Apollo. Hopefully we will see you soon." She waves goodbye to the twins. I turn and wave with my free hand.

 

"We'll visit soon!" Apollo speaks up as we leave. "I'm sure you'll have lots to tell us." That comment gets him a jab in the side from his sister's elbow. I give a wink to the two as we exit the mansion.

 

We walk down the steps and into a gondola waiting by the river. The ferryman pushes off from the dock as he leads us back to the Underworld entrance.

 

"Did you have a good time dear?" My mother asks me this while absentmindedly smoothing out her clothes and brushing off lint from her shoulder. I look back once more at the glamorous mansion shrinking in the distance. I twirl the rose Hades gave me as his grand house disappears from sight.

 

"Yes I did."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is all I have for now. I plan to write more when I get some more inspiration. If you have any thoughts or criticism please comment below! :)


	4. The Cave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After Persephone leaves the ball, how exactly is Hades feeling about the evening? Who exactly is the lord of the Underworld

Chapter 4: The Cave

I stand on the front steps as the last of the guests leave. A very drunk Dionysys is being poured into a boat as Lysias is struggling to get him on board. After coming out victorious, Lysias heads up the steps to me.

“That will be the last of the guests lord Hades.”

“Thank you Lysias.” I check the time on my watch. “Everyone is out by 2am, I’d call that a grand success.” I clap my hands and rub them together. “Well, time to clean up I suppose. Let’s go see the damage.” We walk back into the foyer together, to survey the scene. My staff is already hard at work, erasing any sign that a party had been held. Argos walks past me, carrying a tub of dirty drinking glasses. 

“Here Argos, let me take that to the kitchen. I need to speak to Chayndra anyways.” I take the tub from his arms and make my way to the kitchen. As I pass through the dining hall, I pick up stray glasses and plates to add to my collection. I shoulder my way through the door into the bustling kitchen. Daemons and a few nymphs are scurrying about scrubbing down the kitchen to its original shine. I see the cooks sitting down to my right enjoying the leftover food. One of them notices me standing there and quickly gets up from his seat, elbowing his neighbor to do the same. All the cooks are soon standing and looking at me nervously.

“Please sit and eat. I’m sure you haven’t had a break all night, and you should enjoy the spoils of your labors.” The cooks look to each other in relief and return to their late supper. I head over to the large sink where Chayndra is already scrubbing away. She must sense that I’m behind her, because she turns to smile at me, before indicating where I can put down the dishes in my arms. After setting down the tub, I hang my jacket on a nearby rack full of aprons.

“Would you like some help?.” I don't wait for Chayndra to answer before rolling up my sleeves. Then I take off my watch and slip it into my pocket.

 

"Thank you, make sure you fully dry those so they don't rust." Chayndra points to where I can grab a clean towel as she hands me a freshly washed pan. I make sure to dry all the crevices of the porous metal before setting it aside with the other clean dishes.

"Are these the cast iron pans I got you from Dún Laoghaire?" I got them for here on an excursion I took to the surface last decade.

“Yes they are, and I love them." There's a brief pause before she speaks again. "So, a little birdie told me they saw you dancing with demeter’s daughter.” Chayndra looks over at me, concern masking her face. “I hope you know what you are doing.”

“I’m not doing anything, it was just a dance.” She looks unconvinced.

“I know you, and you don’t dance.” She glares at me reprovingly.

“It doesn’t mean anything.” I tell her the same lies I’ve been telling myself all night. I tried to convince myself it was just a dance when I could feel her phantom hand on my shoulder, long after the dance had concluded. I told myself it didn’t mean anything when her laughter left a warm unnameable feeling in my chest. I told myself I felt nothing when her eyes crinkled up during a smile, and at how they seemed to hold sunlight, even though there was none to be seen down here.

All attempts were unsuccessful. I try very hard, right now, not to think about her. I try not to think about how her dark curly hair was perfectly coiled on top of her head. I try not to think about how the freckles on her darkened skin remind me of stars across the night sky. I try not to think about her soft skin or the gentle warmth in her eyes when she looked at me. The unnameable feeling begins rising up again.

“I think that one’s dry.” Chayndra’s words pull me back to the present. I realize I’ve been absent mindedly drying the same pot the entire time. I slowly set the pot to the side as she hands me another.

“That sure was a whole lot of thinking for something that meant nothing.” Chayndra raises an eyebrow at me as she speaks.

I don’t say anything as I finish drying the pan I’m working on. I put the towel down and change the subject.

“The actual reason I came to talk to you was to ask if my boy has been fed yet.” I’m sure he hasn’t. Chayndra is the only one brave enough to feed him, other than me, and she’s been busy all night.

“I fed him earlier, before the party, but he’s probably hungry again. I saved some meat for him, it’s in the cooler in some metal bowls.” I thank her before grabbing my jacket and heading to the walk in cooler.

I see the bowls sitting on a shelf when I open the cooler door. The 3 massive bowls are filled with a variety of leftover meats from the party. I see an empty cart towards the back of the cooler. I poke my head out to shout to Chayndra across the kitchen.

“I’m gonna take this cart with me, I’ll bring it back.” I load the bowls onto the cart and wheel it out, towards the door.

“You better bring it back!” Chayndra shouts to me as I’m exiting the kitchen.

I push the cart down down the corridor, behind the kitchen, towards the elevator. The service elevator is mainly used to go between the first and second floors of the mansion. Those are not the only destinations one can choose however. I push the cart in as the doors slide open, selecting the button for Avernus. The staff has access to most locations except for a few that are limited to Hecate, Thanatos, and I. The doors spring open as I arrive, letting in the scent of sulfur. The narrow tunnel ahead is lit by torches lining the walls. I amble my way down with the cart, whistling a small tune, until I reach the cave opening. 

The tunnel entrance is hidden in the rocks of the cavern wall. The cave is dimly lit by a few straggling torches, and small beams of moonlight streaking in from the cavern entrance far ahead. The entrance's guardian sits alert, watching for any intruders. The flames coming off his body lick high at the stalactites hanging down from the ceiling.

"Cerberus!"

When I call his name, all three heads whip around to look at me. Fire pours out his eyes and his mouths smell of brimstone when he growls. Anyone would certainly think twice before trying to cross him. When he sees it's me, the embers in his eyes are snuffed, and his tail starts wagging. The flames engulfing him die down, leaving only soft black fur.

"Who's my boy?" I hold out my arms, and brace myself for the inevitable. I hear the thunderous sound of 5ft paws hitting the ground as he bounds over to me. I close my eyes the second before I'm met with a monstrous wet tongue, covering my whole body.

"Hey! Bud-" I'm interrupted by another full body tongue bath, this time from the front and the back. I attempt to hold back two of the heads, while evading the third.

"Buddy! You're too big! You need to shrink down a bit!" He always gets over excited and forgets that he's normally a 20ft tall guard dog. He takes a step back before sitting down, causing some rocks to jump from the ground. All three tongues are panting wildly as he slowly shrinks down to ⅕ of his original size, becoming the size of a large German Shepherd. Once finished, he stands up and resumes his tail wagging, looking at me expectantly. 

"Are you hungry? I brought food!" At the mention of food, his tail velocity accelerates and the middle head starts drooling. I grab the bowls and stack them on top of each to carry them in one trip. 

"One for you." I place a bowl in front of the first head. "One for you." I place a bowl in front of the middle head, who immediately starts to dig in. 

"Excuse me!" I pull the food out of reach. "Wait until everyone is served. You know that." He obeys, but it looks as though it pains him greatly. I set down the final bowl and let them all dig in. While they eat I take off my soiled jacket and attempt to wipe the remaining saliva off myself. 

I mostly focus on my hands and face, the clothing will just have to be dry cleaned. I'll have Haemon take it tomorrow. When I'm wiping my face, I hear the sound of empty metal bowls scraping the floor. I toss my jacket on the cart and go to retrieve the bowls. Cerberus is wagging his tail so hard that his whole hindquarters sway. I stack the bowls before setting them back on the cart.

"Go get your bone, and I'll throw it." He gives a playful bark before bouncing off to hunt for my request. He quickly finds what he's looking for and brings me the large bone, leftover from a burglar who met an unfortunate end. Cerberus walks over to me, each head managing to hold onto a piece of bone. He drops it at my feet, before sitting and looking at me expectantly. I reach down to pick it up and six eyes are fervently watching my every move. I throw it as far as I can, and send it sailing across the cavern.

Cerberus goes off like a shot to chase after it. We repeat the ritual a few more times before my arm gets tired. I toss it one last time before plopping down on the ground. I recline on my back, an arm crooked behind my head. I can't help but let out a yawn. When Cerberus returns he drops the bones and mimics me, also lying on his back. The end result is three tongues flopping out to the sides of three goofy faces. I can't help but laugh, patting his belly as I do so.

I let out a sigh, finally decompressing from the night. My thoughts once again turn to her, beautiful wonderful her.

"Cerberus buddy, you should have seen this girl I met tonight. You would like her a lot, she's wonderful and kind. When she smiles, the rest of the room gets dimmer as she becomes the brightest thing in it. I always want to make her smile. She's also got one dimple hidden among her freckles, that comes out when her smile is biggest." That unnameable feeling comes back, expanding in my chest. I rest a hand there to try and contain it. 

"She makes me feel a certain way. I don't know what to call it, but she makes me feel different, and new, and light all at once." I let out a deep sigh and close my eyes. Visions of the night dance across my eyelids. I use my free hand to run my fingers through Cerberus's soft fur. 

"She would love you, I hope you can meet her one day." I rub his belly again as he lets out a yawn from two different heads. He's very soon fast asleep, still laying in a crooked position, three tongues hanging limply. I slowly get up so as not to wake him. 

Quietly as I can I begin to push the cart back to the elevator, still trying to contain the expansion in my chest. I feel a smile begin to creep onto my face.

It's a battle I hope lasts all night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ch 5 will be up super soon! So sorry about the long wait for this chapter. It was originally going to be one long chapter but I decided to split it up into two chapters.


	5. The Office

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What does Hades do all day exactly? What does it take to run the the Underworld?

Chapter 5: The Office

 

I button the cuffs of my sleeves before straightening my tie in the mirror, checking to make sure it isn’t crooked. I grab the waistcoat hung nearby, swinging my arms into it. I meticulously fasten the buttons, then grab the matching jacket to wear. I shove my current papers in my knapsack before shouldering it and heading out the door. As much as I prefer working from home, I have already put this off for far too long. I haven’t been down to the office since before the ball, and it’s been weeks since then. Hecate has been persistently badgering me to come down as well. I suppose it is unfair to leave her there alone to run things on that end. 

 

I walk down the stairs towards the elevator. Upon arriving I press the call button and wait for the doors to open. The doors spring open, wafting a light breeze across my face. The button for the main office is far underused, much less worn than the others. I press it non the less, and let out a breath through my teeth as I wait to arrive. The room is impossibly quiet, save for my own breathing. I make a mental note to possibly add music of some sort. The elevator doors fly open before I can continue the thought. I take a deep breath before stepping out of my small solitude.

 

“Good morning lord Hades.” Plythias, the receptionist greets me as he gives a warm smile. I give a small wave back.

 

“Nice to see you Plythias, is Hecate around?” I’m sure she will find me before I find her. She is very good at things like that.

 

“I believe I saw her heading to your office earlier.” I thank him before heading to my office in search of her.

 

I pass many people, all happy to see me. I reply to the 'good mornings' and 'good to see yous' with typical replies. The steady stream seems to never cease.

 

"Yes, yes, we have all missed lord Hades at the office. Give the man some space, for Olympus sake." Haemon bustles through the growing crowd of people shoo-ing them off. "Back to your jobs, the dead don't rest." When we are finally alone he turns to me.

 

"Good morning boss." He gets right down to business, handing me a stack of portfolios. "These are some cases from the judges that need your approval for use of Tartarus."

 

"What? More for Tartarus? What are these mortals doing up there?" Humans are constantly coming up with worse and worse deeds to commit. Soon enough we're going to have to redo the entire judging system to effectively accommodate.

 

"Well with that world wide war going on, mortals are creating all sorts of new ways for killing." Haemon says this as he points to the stack now under my arm. "Most of these are from generals and war commanders."

 

"Ugh, I forgot Ares started that whole 'great war' thing." I use my free hand to massage my temple. "He sure is making my job difficult, I hope he knows that. Thank you Haemon, I will review these and let the judges know. Here." I pull out a stack of similar portfolios from my knapsack. "These ones are all ready to go to the judges, if you could get those to them asap please." Haemon begins to walk off when I call him back. "Oh yes, and if you see Hecate can you let her know I'm looking for her." He nods before walking off towards to courts. Haemon is a great assistant, I don't really deserve him.

 

I keep heading towards my office when I hear someone else call out to me.

 

"I can't wait to meet her."

 

I recognize the voice and turn to see Clotho leaning in a nearby doorway. The fate has her signature devilish smirk plastered on her face. 

 

"Meet who?" I sign to her. She signs back, not speaking this time.

 

"Persephone."

 

I feel the heat creep up my neck. Word must travel fast, considering the fates weren't even at the ball. "What have you heard?" I have already finished signing the question before I realize my mistake. She lets out a deep guttural laugh before signing a reply.

 

"Well technically I haven't  _ heard _ anything." I give a quick apology before she continues. "Lachesis has been telling me about her. I'm looking forward to when I meet her." She gives a mischievous smile before walking away.

 

Left with nothing but questions from our cryptic encounter, I mull over the possibilities. Clotho can only see the past, her sibling Lachesis however is proficient in seeing things to come. The future isn't set in stone however and could change, but when Lachesis sees something, it almost always unfolds the way she sees. Clearly she has been seeing quite a few things about Persephone. One can only wonder what.

 

I clear my head of those thoughts when I finally reach my office. I barely get two steps in before I hear Hecate's voice.

 

"Well well well, if it isn't our wayward king." She's got her hands behind her head, leaning back in my chair very casually with her boots up on my desk. I scowl as I walk over to brush her feet back onto the floor.

 

"I've only been gone a month, I would hardly call that wayward in the grand scheme of things." Hecate shrugs nonchalantly as she gets up from my desk to move to a chair across from it. I set my knapsack and the stack of portfolios on my desk before sitting down in my chair. 

 

Hecate looks to me as if waiting for me to say something. After staring me down for a second or two she gives a melodramatic sigh. " 'Thank you Hecate for running the office for me while I sat at home and moped' 'Oh it was no problem Hades you know i'd do anything for you' 'Yes you are my finest and best employee. I could never run this place on my own without you.' 'Oh Hades stop, you're making me blush.' " I wait patiently until she is finished with her drama act.

 

"Are you finished?" She nods before flashing me an impish smile and propping up her elbow on the chair arm to rest her cheek against her fist. "Thank you Hecate for running things while I was gone. And I was not moping, I just needed a little time to myself."

 

Oh right, Mr. 'I hate everybody, and I need a month to recuperate after having a party.' I don't know why you thought it was so awful, I had a great time."

 

"Yes, well unlike you Hecate, not everybody enjoys the company of every single person they meet." I begin to flip through some of the portfolios Haemon handed me earlier.

 

"Well I can't help it that everyone loves me. I did hear however that you enjoyed one particular person's company." I look up to Hecate to see her wiggling her eyebrows at me.

 

"Why does this seem to be a popular topic for discussion as of late?" I return back to the portfolio I was examining. "I was simply being a good host."

 

"Argos said he even saw you smile." I can tell from the tone of her voice that she's trying very hard to keep in laughter.

 

"That's preposterous, I never smile. Is that what qualifies as gossip these days?" I try very hard to stay calm and keep the heat from creeping up my neck again.

 

"I told Argos he must be mistaken. I've known you for over 5,000 years and I've never once seen you smile. The things people believe."  She rolls her eyes and gets up to leave, but turns back as she remembers something. "Oh yeah, I need to talk to you about Thanatos."

 

I look up from my papers to her. "What about him?" 

 

"We're having a major ghost problem because he's not delivering the souls to the underworld. Hermes is being run ragged trying to go collect them all." 

 

I release a slow aggravated sigh. "Okay, I'll handle it. Thank you Hecate." She pivots on her boots to exit my office, giving me a thumbs up as she leaves.

 

I should have worked from home today. There's always so much going on down at the office whenever I come here. I rub my fingers against my temples, thinking about what I'm going to do about Thanatos. The God of death is going through a bit of a rebellious phase right now though. I didn't think he would quit doing his job though. My thoughts are interrupted when Haemon walks.

 

“Lord Hades, your brother is here to see you." I let out a deep groan that lasts for almost a whole minute. I really should have worked from home today. I close my eyes and make a silent wish before replying back. 

 

“Which brother?” I keep my eyes closed, fearing the worst. There's a slight pause before Haemon replies. 

 

“It's Poseidon, sir.”

 

 A slight sigh of relief escapes me and I open my eyes. At least it's the lesser of the two evils. I then think about how we just cleaned the office building. We're going to have to call maintenance again. Haemon interrupts my thoughts again.

 

“Hecate already paged maintenance and the cleaning crew are already on it, sir.” She really is perfect. She often knows things before I even know to ask for them. 

Poseidon walks in then, pushing open the double doors at the same time. He walks in such a way that his shoulders are perfectly level. When he comes up to my desk he reaches over it using his monstrous hand to grab mine. 

 

“Aidoneus! It's been far too long. How have you been?” He shakes my hand roughly a few times before letting go. My hand pulls away damp, and there's sand in between my fingers now. 

 

“Yes, yes, It has been too long.” I can never understand why he insists on calling me Aidoneus. I haven't gone by that name for over 3000 years. I see Haemon bite his lips as he hurries out of my office. I pull out a handkerchief and discreetly wipe my hands. Hopefully this will be a short visit.

 

Poseidon wrings out his hair before winding it into a knot on top of his head. I look disdainfully at the puddle that is now on the floor by his feet. He puts his hands on his hips and arches backwards stretching before plopping down in one of the seats by my desk. He lounges haphazardly, quirking up a leg on the end of the arm. I tear my eyes away from the mess left on the floor to look at him. 

 

“I didn't see you at the ball, I had last month.” Not that I missed him.

 

“You know how it is, duty calls sometimes.” When he says this, he puts his hands behind his head and kicks his feet up to put them on the edge of my desk. It was much more charming when Hecate did it. I can't help but notice that he's barefoot, and has a bit of seaweed sticking out between his toes. 

 

“Would it really be so troublesome to put on shoes?”

 

“Shoes are so oppressive.” he sighs. “Plus I can feel the earth better with my bare feet. You know, stay connected to the ocean and what not.” He wiggles his toes, depositing sand on my letterheads. I silently groan, I really hope this visit is short.

 

“Well, I don't know if you know this, but there is no earth or ocean down here in the Underworld.”  The last part I mumble to myself. “It's pretty much the best part.” I walk around my desk over towards him. “To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?” I pick his foot off my desk and let it plop to the floor. 

 

“What can't a guy just drop in to see his brother sometimes?” His tone attempts to convey perfect innocence, but I know my brother far too well.

 

“Yes, that is perfectly all right. However," I cross my arms and lean against my desk, staring him down. "You never do that.” 

 

“All right fine. I admit it.” He holds his hands up in defeat. “I have a favor to ask.” Of course he does. The only time my brothers ever visit me is when they want something. It's usually easiest to give them what they want so they can be on their way. “Ke-- My latest squeeze fell in love with a mortal who perished at sea due to an ‘unforeseen storm’ crashing down on their ship.”

 

“I wonder how this ‘unforeseen’ storm could have happened?” Knowing my brothers though, I know exactly how it happened. Poseidon rolls his eyes at me.

 

 “Anyway, now she's whining and bemoaning, and she won't shut up about this mortal. So I was wondering If you could just sort of let him out of the underworld and let him live. So that way we can get back to doing what we do best.” Ah there's the favor. I can't give my brother what he wants this time though.

 

“You know perfectly well that no mortal can leave the underworld. That’s not even up to me, the fates decide when someone will die.” 

 

“Yeah, I know. That's why I'm asking for a favor. I'm asking if you will personally let this guy out, as a favor, to your favorite brother.”

 

“Favorite is a strong word.” He begins to get desperate as he pleads with me.

 

“You don't understand man. This chick is so down and depressed but she won't even bang me anymore. It's cramping my whole style.” Figures that’s why he’s upset. “Please just do this once, just for me? Please, please, please?”

 

“What's his name?” I cross back to my desk to grab a pen.

 

“Thank you. I knew you were the best brother for a reason, you’re so much better than Ze-” I cut him off.

 

“I didn't say I would do it yet. Just asked for his name.” I want to get more information first before making a decision. 

 

“I see, playing hardball are we?” He stands up to leave. “His name is Laertes." He peers over my shoulder as I write it down. "Yeah that's it, two e's. I know you’ll make the right decision.” He winks at me before exiting my office.

 

I close my eyes and rub my temples some more, my headache worsening. I look at the seat my brother occupied and spot a lone starfish clinging to the cushion. I don’t even want to think about how that got there. I go to sit down and lean back in my chair, covering my eyes with my hand. I hear the door open and I peek between my fingers to see Hecate waltzing in with a stack of letters.

 

“Here's the mail from today. Hermes just dropped it off.” I close my eyes again as I use my free hand to point to the table in the corner. 

 

“You can just set it over there please, I'll look at it later.” I hear her set down the stack before returning to stand near me.

 

“I think you're going to want to look at this one now.” I take another peek and see her handing me an envelope closed with a wax seal. “It’s from a particular person.”

 

I immediately sit up straight in my chair and take the letter from Hecate. The letter is addressed to me in gold ink with a flourish underneath. The paper is embedded with stalks of wheat and lavender, undoubtedly Demeter's signature. 

 

 Hecate raises an eyebrow at my urgency. "Sure sure, 'Just being a good host'. Whatever you say Hades." As she leaves my office, I can hear her laughing down the hall.

 

I decide not to care as I grab my letter opener from the desk and and practically rip open the envelope. It reads, ‘You are hereby cordially invited to the Harvest Ball, hosted by Lady Demeter on the island of Flavius.’ 

 

I can't help but smile when I finish reading. The date of the ball is only a week away. I begin counting down the days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Plans for chapter 6 and in progress. I hope to finish this one much sooner! Chapter 6 will see our lovers reunited!


End file.
